6:36a–b

In this verse Jesus reminded the people of something he had said to them earlier. Perhaps Jesus was referring to what he had said in verse 26. Or perhaps he was referring to what he had said in 5:37–38. Or he might have referred to something that he had said that is not in the gospel of John. He repeated it here because what he had said earlier was still true.

Here are other ways to translate this verse:

Yet I have told you that you have seen me and do not believe. (Phillips’ New Testament in Modern English)
-or-
I have told you already that you have seen me and still do not have faith in me. (Contemporary English Version)

6:36a

But: The Greek conjunction that the Berean Standard Bible translates as But here introduces a contrast. The contrast is between those who believe in Jesus (6:35c) and his listeners, who do not believe.

6:36b

still: The BRB has supplied the word still. Although the people had seen Jesus and his miracles (see 6:26b), they still did not believe/trust in him. The word still helps to show that one would expect them to believe after they saw Jesus.

do not believe: Although the words “in me” are not present here as in 6:35c, they are implied. See the note there on “believes in me.” Here Jesus said that the people who were talking with him did not believe in that way. It is also implied that Jesus spoke about believing in himself. In some languages it may be more natural to make whom they did not believe in explicit.

Here are other ways to translate this phrase:

do not have faith in me (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
do not trust in me
-or-
don’t believe in me (God’s Word)

General Comment on 6:36a–b

In some languages it may be natural to use direct speech for quoting what Jesus had previously said. For example:

But as I told you, ‘You have seen me and yet do not believe.’
-or-
But you know what I said, ‘Although you have seen me, you still do not believe.’

General Comment on 6:36a–b

In some languages it may be natural to reverse the order of 6:36a and 6:36b. For example:

36b But you haven’t believed in me 36a even though you have seen me. (New Living Translation (2004))

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